Getting your CPC

Questions answered on Driver CPC: who needs it, how to get it, how to keep it.

What is Driver CPC?

Driver CPC is a Certificate of Professional Competence issued to drivers who are entitled to hold one. It was first introduced across the EU in 2008 for professional bus drivers and 2009 for professional truck drivers. Its objective was to set and maintain high standards of road safety, health and safety and driving among professional drivers of buses and trucks.

IMPORTANT – A Driver CPC Qualification Card is not a driving licence. In order to drive a truck or bus you must:

be the holder of a current valid driving licence for the category of vehicle you are driving, and

be the holder of a current valid driver’s CPC card for the category of vehicle you are driving professionally.

Once you are fully CPC qualified you can apply for and receive your Drivers CPC card. Both your driving licence and Drivers CPC qualification card must be carried by you whenever you are driving your truck or bus professionally.

The RSA’s target is for Ireland to have one of the lowest casualty rates in Europe

Three key aims:

Ensuring all professional drivers have good driving and safety standards and that those standards are maintained throughout their career.

Creating a common standard for the training and testing of drivers throughout the EU

Reducing fatalities and serious injuries on Irish roads.

The Driver CPC and you

Professional drivers fall into three categories from a Driver CPC perspective:

A. Drivers who hold ‘Acquired rights’.

These are drivers who were already working as professional drivers when the scheme was put in place and obtained their bus licence on or before 9th September, 2008 or their truck licence on or before 9th September 2009 . To keep their Driver CPC they must then do 35 hours of periodic training within each five year period. Training is on a one day per year basis (minimum of 7 hours each day).

Periodic training is compulsory and is designed to help you be:

A better safer and socially responsible professional driver

More environmentally aware and cost conscious

Physically healthier

In Ireland CPC Periodic refresher training is only provided by RSA approved trainers at RSA approved training centres. When booking training check to make sure your trainer and centre are approved. Unapproved training will not count towards your Drivers CPC.

Once you have completed your periodic training and the CPC Training Organisation has uploaded a record of your CPC Training to Driver Education Section in the Road Safety Authority you should submit a completed Driver Qualification Card Application Form and submit it to Driver Education Section in the Road Safety Authority.

Please note: that currently we are unable to retrieve your images from digi-tachograph so therefore you must submit a photo with your application.

B. Drivers who are new to the profession

If you obtained your bus licence on or after 10 September 2008 or your truck licence on or after 10 September 2009 you don’t qualify for acquired rights and must obtain your ‘initial CPC’.

To become a professional bus or truck driver and obtain your ‘initial CPC’ you first must pass:

The new truck, the new bus or the new Combined Truck and Bus theory test as appropriate. (This new test permits successful candidates to apply for their learner permit as well as counting as a Pass for CPC Step 1)

Two-hour case study theory test (Known as CPC Step 2)

The standard 90-minute driving test (Known as CPC Step 3)

30-minute practical test (Known as CPC Step 4)

Please note: If you obtained your bus or truck learner permit before 30th September 2014 you will need to complete the CPC Step 1 theory test (set out at No 1 above).

In addition, you must then maintain your Driver CPC by completing the periodic refresher training of at least 35 hours of training over each five year period. If you are maintaining both a bus and a truck CPC you must complete 42hours training over each five year period.

C. Professional drives who have not been engaged in professional driving or not maintained the Driver CPC qualification or have been working and living outside the EU member states.

These Drivers are permitted to return to work as a professional driver without the need to undergo the full process to re-qualify for a Driver CPC Card. The Driver CPC Regulations allow a driver (with acquired rights in bus/truck) on completion of a minimum of 35 hours of periodic refresher training and/or 42 hours where both a bus and truck CPC qualification are to be confirmed to make an application for a Driver CPC Card once this training has been completed. This application must be submitted with a Driver CPC Return to Professional Driving Declaration form. Please note that these forms can only be submitted when the CPC Training Organisation has uploaded a complete record of your CPC Training to Driver Education Section in the Road Safety Authority. Please ensure you read all the information on the back of the Driver CPC Return to Professional Driving Declaration form before completing it. Please note that once you have returned to professional driving and obtained your CPC card, you are required to maintain your CPC qualification on an on going basis by completing one day of CPC periodic training per year.

Test locations

The Driver CPC bus/truck test and practical test can be carried out in any existing bus/truck test location. But not every type of vehicle can be tested at all centres. Find out which type of vehicle that can be tested in each test centre.

Theory tests

The Driver CPC theory tests are part of the Driver CPC process, which is mandatory for all new professional drivers.

Step 1: Drivers must first pass the relevant theory test and obtain their learner permit

Step 2: Drivers then must take pass their CPC Case study theory test/s.

CPC Step 1:

You have a number of options depending on what licences you want to get and what you have already completed.

Option 1 – applies for either a bus or truck theory test This test consists of 100 multiple choice questions - you must correctly answer at least 74 of them to pass either the bus or the truck exam.

Option 2 – applies for either a bus and truck theory test This test consists of 140 multiple choice questions if you want to drive buses and trucks, you may opt to take the combined bus and truck exam which costs €84. You must correctly answer at least 104 to pass this combined bus and truck exam.

If you have already passed either one of the new bus or truck theory tests since 30th September 2014 - you may then choose to add the alternate category by passing the bus module or truck module test (as appropriate) the cost of the Module test is €45. These Module tests consist of 40 questions to pass you must correctly answer at least 30.

CPC Step 2:

This involves 3 case studies which are short scenarios that describe various situations a driver might face. There are 15 questions in each case study (45 in total). To pass, you must correctly answer 28 of the 45 questions - a minimum of 5 questions on each case study.

To prepare for any of these theory tests..

Study material including advice on how to prepare for both the new exams and the CPC case study tests is available from Prometric Ireland see www.theorytest.ie.

The CPC practical test

This test is conducted in the driving test centre and is usually taken directly before or after the driving test. A vehicle which is representative of the class is required for this session. It is a practical knowledge test lasting 30 minutes. It covers areas such as

Proof of certification

Drivers with acquired rights:

For those who held ‘acquired rights’ - your licence will have an issue date before the September deadlines in the relevant category as proof of your acquired rights. When you complete your periodic training and apply for one, you will be issued with your CPC qualification card. Check this carefully as if you did not already hold a licence before the start dates you do not hold a drivers CPC and any periodic refresher training completed will not count – you must obtain the correct Drivers CPC first.

New drivers:

When you have passed your Driver theory test, a case study test and the driving test, you will be issued with an application form by your driver tester. Complete and return the form to the Driver Education Section, RSA, Primrose Hill, Ballina, Co Mayo. You can generally expect to receive your card within 10 working days.

Exemptions

There is no exemption to the requirement for CPC for people wishing to take out a learner permit/full licence for the category C or CE when under the age of 21 or the category D or DE when under the age of 24.

Driver CPC certification is not required for drivers of vehicles used:

For a registered RSA approved Driving Instructors who are giving driving instruction.

In the course of someone’s work, provided that driving the vehicle is not the driver’s principal occupation, e.g. a tradesman using a light truck to transport their materials or a farmer transporting their own animals.

Vehicles with a maximum speed not exceeding 45 km/h

If you have any queries about whether your driving duties require you to hold a drivers CPC check with your Transport Manager, legal advisor or consult the RSA.